US National Guard, Ghana Army hold crisis management workshop

A five-day workshop on managing crisis and disaster information by public relation officers of the various security agencies opened in Accra on Monday.

The state partnership programme by North Dakota National Guard in the United States of America and the Ghana Armed Forces was attended by public relations officers from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Fire Service, the Ghana Armed Forces and personnel from the National Disaster Management Organisation.

Captain Dan Murphy, Public Information Officer of North Dakota National Guard, said North Dakota partnered Ghana in 2004 to link National Guard states and territories with partner countries for purposes of fostering mutual interests and establishing long term relationships.

He said public affairs was much more than sending press releases and included  engaging the media, building relationships and communicating with external stakeholders.

He said in times of disaster, working with the media would ensure clear and consistent messages to promote public safety and well-being.

“Inaccurate reporting can grow into major issues for any organisation and inaccuracies flourish without providing correct information upfront and it is important that damage control is done,” he said.

Source: GNA